Hey all,

I need some help setting up a Vue render-farm. I have the two machines networked via ethernet, or "fat telephone cable thing", as I call it. They each have Vue 5 Esprit installed, and a Rendercow running in the taskbar on the Start Menu. Is it automatic? I can't seem to figure out how to do a render using both machines. Help this Digital Farmer in need!!! ;)

-Thanks all.

-Zak

Message edited on: 10/07/2005 22:38

I never got it working yet, but a start is to go to your picture settings and choose something better than preview eg final and down on the bottom left corner enable hypervue. Hope this helps. Love esther

Attached Link: RenderCow Tutorial

Check out the URL below for a quick tutorial on setting up RenderCows using Vue-Infinite. Not exactly sure how it works with Vue Esprit.

best, Chipp

Besides the info Chipp kindly provided, i found that i had to share my "C:Program Filese-on Software" folder on my main machine, which makes sense for a Windows XP Pro SP-2 PC (where i'm not sharing folders above that one. That folder doesn't exist on my RenderCow PCs, they only need the Cow installations, not the Vue program. I use Vue 5i.

Elminster, Hypervue only works for animation in 5Esprit, and only if you have bought (or already had) Mover5.

I think Elminster has Infinite (too). Ok, lets try to list what I know. #1 RenderCows for Esprit and Infinite are different. #2 Yes, they start automatically, you don't have to do anything #3 You start your host program (Esprit or Infinite) on your host computer, select the render options, select HyperVue (if possible) and then you have to add the RenderCow nodes in the next window that appear when you select "render". You best add the Cows you have manually by IP address (the IP address each computer has in your network). It starts with 192.168.... normally. The appropriate Cow should appear with "idle" in the list. You can leave the port number 5002 the same all over, should work. #4 when you do that the first time and you have updated your host program, the RenderCows are updated automatically as well. This can cause a crash on those Cows and you have to restart them manually then. #5 If you want the host machine to participate in the render you have to install the RenderCow there as well. You add that Cow to the list best by name "localhost" #6 you can switch on/off Cows while the process is running if you like to when you need that computer for something else for a while. No problem. Have i forgotten something? I forgot. Ok, to the render settings that allow HyperVue (RenderCow rendering). Yes, by default you see HyperVue active only for Preview and Final. HyperVue can't handle the blur options that the other modes offer by default. This has to do with some specific actions that need to be done by the host program (my interpretation). So what can you do? Switch to "user" and load the predefined render settings that come with Vue. I think you find them under "environment" in your application folder (I am not sure, i am at home without Vue and do this all out of my head!). Then you switch off this blurring and probably see HyperVue become active again. I saved those render settings then on my machine for later use. Example. I loaded into user settings "superiour", switched off blur and saved that as "superiour_cow" back to my disk. For later use. Same with all other settings that are available. Uff, i again hope that i have not forgotten anything. Ask if that is the case. And good luck!

Thanks guys. Hope this works! -BTW - I have Esprit but only the Infinite demo.

Man! It doesn't work. When I check HyperVue in the render animation window, it takes me right to rendering frame one, on only that machine. I never even get the RenderCow screen that should follow it. Noooooooo!!

Sorry, has to wait until Monday - i have Esprit only in the office. Then i will look into this.

Elminster, is your network config ok? Does the Hypervue manager list all your cows? If not, you may have to make an auto scan, or add a node by hand, by entering the name of the computer or its IP address that hosts the cow, and the port number. This is from the Infinite Hypervue manager, so I don't know if it's the same for Esprit. But wabe told you that already, so I guess you already tried.

My network works fine, I can use it for games, file-sharing, etc. Nevertheless, HyperVue does not work, Vue completely bypasses the RenderCow dialog, menu, everything - I can't add nodes, I don't even know what that means, really... Vue acts like the second machine doesn't even exist - which it does. :|

A stupid question: Do you have Mover 5?

Yes I do. Mover 5 and Vue 5 Esprit, and separately the Vue Infinite Demo - which also does not work when loaded on both machines and networked.

The demo of Infinte doesn't allow network rendering, I just checked e-on's webstite. Could it be the problem?

Elmister, can you maybe provide us with screenshots? I am a little unsure what you try to do.

By the sounds of it "Elmister", you may be trying to use Esprit & Infinite cows together. That will not work, as Rendercows for each version are different, as stated above. If VUE does not "see" the other machine, then check your networking settings - maybe your file sharing is not enabled for that directory structure.

Okay, I got it to work. Thanks, everybody. Turns out surveyman was right, I was trying to use Esprit and Infinite cows together. Now, I'm off to the fields :)